Speaking and presenting
You know what you want to say, then start watching yourself say it. A pause feels much longer than it is, or you rush to get to the end.
Performance under pressure
When pressure gets in the way of what you can do
You know your subject, you’ve practised or you’ve done this before. Then it matters, and you start monitoring every word or movement. I work with the nerves, self-doubt and overthinking around those moments.
When the stakes feel higher
Preparation is there. Trusting it feels harder.
You might speak easily with colleagues, then rush through a presentation. In practice a movement feels familiar, but in competition you start checking each part of it. Or one mistake stays in your head while the next opportunity passes.
We look closely at the point where things change: the thought that arrives, what you notice in your body and where your attention goes. The aim comes from what you want to do, such as finish your point, stay with a task or return to the next moment after a mistake.
This is support with the pressure around performance. It sits alongside the preparation, coaching or subject knowledge your activity needs.
Where it shows up
Different situations, something important at stake
I work with adults. Your situation might be one of these, or another moment when nerves and overthinking get in the way.
Work and important conversations
You prepare for an interview or meeting, then second-guess an answer while the conversation has already moved on.
Sport and competition
You overthink a familiar movement, worry about being watched or carry the last mistake into the next point, attempt or phase of play.
Exams and assessments
You’ve studied, but a difficult question draws you into worrying about the result. You want to return your attention to the question in front of you.
How I can help
Work on the moment that throws you
We choose a specific situation. For a presentation, that might be the first few seconds after someone asks a question. I’ll ask what you expect to happen and what you’d like to be able to do instead.
In hypnosis, we might use imagery to work through that moment: hearing the question, allowing a pause and bringing your attention back to your answer. Suggestions are shaped around your aim. You can tell me what feels useful and what still gets in the way, so we can adjust the work.
For sport, the focus might be competition nerves, overthinking technique or returning attention to the next part of play after an error. For an exam, it might be moving on from a difficult question. We can also explore what a mistake seems to mean to you, or the expectations you’re putting on yourself.
We agree something manageable to try outside the session, such as rehearsing a short opening or noticing how you return to a task. It should fit your existing preparation.
Reviewing the work
Look at what you could do in the moment
Did you stay in the conversation, finish your point or return to the next task after an error? We look at what happened in practice and under pressure, including what remained difficult. That gives us something useful to review beyond whether you felt completely calm.
A result depends on many things. We agree what to work towards without promising a score, selection, exam result or a particular level of performance.
Related support
If the pressure follows you afterwards
Overthinking
When the event is over but you’re still analysing every detail or reopening decisions.
Explore overthinkingAnxiety & stress
When preparing for what might go wrong starts taking up more of everyday life.
Explore anxiety & stressSleep
When tomorrow’s event keeps you awake, or tonight becomes a replay of how it went.
Explore sleepTell me about the moment you want to handle differently
We’ll talk about the situation, how we could work on it and what sessions cost.
Free 30-minute video call. No obligation to book.
Book a Free ConsultationSessions in Rugby and online where suitable.